Chapter 122

Enjoying their kindness means accepting their favor,

Killing their son in the future means avenging the evil.

Thus balancing sin with sin.

As for the destruction of Great Chu all those years ago, it seems there was more to it…

The Duke of the State was but a knife.

But who was the one wielding the knife?

Emperor Zhou of Great Zhou, or someone else?

Cheng Guang’s mind was a tangled mess.

His feelings towards the Wu Yuemei couple were also quite complicated.

As long as my identity isn’t exposed,

what’s the harm in continuing to be their son?

But if my identity is revealed, it becomes a life-or-death situation.

By that point, Cheng Guang would have no choice in the matter.

Cheng Guang slowly closed his eyes.

He felt a renewed sense of urgency about dealing with that true Princely Heir.

Even if the real Princely Heir were placed before Cheng Zhihai now, he might not recognize him, but a silent dead man is undoubtedly the safest.

“A body double’s life is still a life…”

Cheng Guang opened his eyes and looked out the window, murmuring to himself.

He didn’t know whether he was speaking to himself or to the Princely Heir who toyed with his life in the palm of his hand.

The carriage moved on.

An hour later.

They had left through the city gates.

Outside the city gates, on the main road of Great Zhou, the procession stretched like a long dragon.

Apart from students of the Martial Academy participating in the Martial Cultivation Competition, there were also many merchants headed for Crane-Crying Island.

Within the capital city, commoners could, for a fee, watch the projected images of the competition by means of Different Treasures.

But those without money who still wished to watch had to go to the mountains near Crane-Crying Island and sit at the high peak to watch the scenes within the island from afar.

The main road of Great Zhou, usually unobstructed, was now crowded with people.

One is akin to watching from outside the venue, and the other is like live broadcasting.

Cheng Guang couldn’t help but suspect that within the capital, those who were broadcasting the martial arts competition, might still be the work of Emperor Zhou, that back-stabber.

Probably knowing that Great Zhou was bound to lose, he began to think of ways to make money back from other aspects.

Profit-making schemes followed one after another.

Cheng Guang truly had to admire it.

“Sigh, it’s the quadrennial Martial Arts Competition again. Can the Great Zhou Martial Academy even compete? They don’t stand a chance.”

“Your Majesty should not have supported those from humble backgrounds, dividing the resources of us nobles.”

“How many years has it been? We’ve already lost three times in a row. If we lose again this time, it’ll be a disgrace that we can’t live down.”

“Today we lose to Great Wei, tomorrow who knows which minor nation we’ll lose to. Can’t the students of the Great Zhou Martial Academy show some spirit? They seem to have no shame left.”

“I’m used to it; losing has become normal. I have no expectations for their victory anymore.”

On the way to Crane-Crying Island, Cheng Guang listened to the discussions of passersby by the roadside, his thoughts scattered as he pondered. This scene somehow seemed like déjà vu, akin to the feeling when facing the national soccer team.

The Martial Academy of Great Zhou was an official martial institute established by the Great Zhou court to promote martial prowess, gathering many of the elite students from the top and bottom of Great Zhou.

The establishment of the Martial Academy by the Great Zhou court was a severe blow to many martial sects of the Martial World.

Young people, lacking martial virtue, directly launched surprise attacks on various ancient sects.

Their slogan was “Education for all without discrimination.”

Anyone could learn martial arts as long as they paid.

The academy took no responsibility for one’s talent or achievements, but just graduating from the academy guaranteed at least a minor official position in the local counties.

Among the martial sects, people work their bones tired for a single Cultivation Technique, and after all that effort, there’s still sectarian strife, exclusion, and oppression—by comparison, the academy was much better.

Even though there were distinctions between nobles and commoners within the academy, under Emperor Zhou’s control, nobles and commoners started on the same line within the academy.

Whoever could obtain more resources in the academy depended solely on their own abilities.

No matter how powerful one’s family was at home, they shouldn’t expect to take shortcuts within the academy.

Speaking of which, Cheng Zhihai didn’t send Cheng Guang to the Great Zhou Martial Academy because there were no shortcuts to be taken.

If you can’t take shortcuts, then what kind of nobility is that?

Many nobles wanted to overturn the tables in frustration and quit on the spot.

But then they’d see Emperor Zhou’s 40-meter-long great sword in his hand and quietly shove their food back into their bowls, their faces beaming with bright smiles.

——”Heh, such accurate judgment of people”

Many noble families also became wise, either deciding not to send their children to the Martial Academy and cultivate them at home with their own resources and strength, not caring about official titles, or obediently sending them to the academy to compete with the children from humble backgrounds.

It’s called fair competition, but where in the world is there true fairness?

Allocation within the academy might be fair, but outside the academy, everyone’s family circumstances were different. Those with money could afford private martial tutors, and some might even learn martial arts passed down through their family.

The children from humble families mostly didn’t have this privilege.

Even so, Emperor Zhou still paved a way for children from humble families throughout the land,

Meanwhile, he also suppressed the various martial sects of the Martial World.

After all, everyone knows that martial artists are the least manageable; if Great Zhou were to falter, the happiest would not be enemy nations but the various martial sects within Great Zhou.

It was truly killing two birds with one stone, achieving two aims with one action.

Emperor Zhou, that old strategist, was not ordinary in his cunning.

But the Martial Academy of Great Wei was different; their academy was essentially the army, and martial sects and the court did as they pleased, separate from each other.

The divisions between the noble and humble within Great Wei weren’t as stark either.

The conflict between the noble and humble wasn’t as noticeable.